Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, Gilbert, Arizona toddler wrongly declared dead after ‘near’ drowning comes back to life in morgue as Dr. Aryan Toosi of Mercy Gilbert Medical Center comes under scrutiny along with boy’s parents, Alexus Fiordilino and Angelo Fiordilino who now face potential felony child abuse.
The parents of an 18-month-old boy who was ‘wrongly’ declared dead after he was found unresponsive at a home pool only to be discovered alive at a morgue hours later are now facing child abuse charges.
Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino was found floating face down in his family’s backyard swimming pool in Arizona at approximately 5:30 p.m. on February 8 while relatives were gathered at the family’s home to watch Super Bowl LX.
Investigators say Vincent’s parents, 29-year-old Alexus Fiordilino and Angelo Fiordilino, stepped into the garage to talk before sitting on a couch in the backyard to watch television. About 15 minutes later, Alexus realized they had not seen Vincent and began searching for him. The toddler was discovered floating face down in the pool.
Toddler was presumed still alive when rushed to hospital
Alexus immediately pulled her son from the water and began CPR, noticing he was vomiting foam. Angelo then carried Vincent to the front yard, where he continued CPR until first responders arrived according to 12 News.
The boy according to parents and police at the scene was believed to be still alive and gasping for air during his rescue.
The toddler was transported to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where Dr. Aryan Toosi pronounced him dead at 6:20 p.m according to a release from the Gilbert Police Department.
Yet there was more to come.
How did medical clinic get it so wrong?
According to the police report, medical personnel preparing to move Vincent’s body discovered some five hours later he was still alive and breathing inside the hospital morgue. The toddler was immediately airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for emergency treatment.
One responding officer reported hearing a nurse say, ‘I have a pulse,’ as hospital staff attempted to revive the child. The officer informed Dr. Toosi of what he had overheard.
‘[The doctor] arrogantly told me he was the doctor, he has the medical degree, he went to medical school for a reason, and to let him do his thing,’ a police report stated.
The officer alleged Dr. Toosi then instructed staff to stop CPR and other life-saving measures before officially declaring Vincent dead.
Police also noted that both Vincent’s parents believed their son was still breathing while saying goodbye to him. One officer reported observing Vincent’s chest rising and falling, though hospital staff reportedly explained it as gases leaving the body.
Another officer later reported hearing what sounded like additional gasps while accompanying Vincent’s body to the morgue. A nurse reportedly suggested the sounds could have been agonal breathing, an involuntary reflex that can occur when the brain is deprived of oxygen.
Miracle baby
Following the discovery that Vincent was alive, doctors initially reported he had suffered extensive brain damage and would require lifelong care.
His family said in a GoFundMe that his initial diagnosis on Feb. 9 was very dire. His organs were shutting down, and doctors said he had brain damage.
But several days later, an MRI showed the tot had no brain damage and just a minor brain bruise that his growing brain is expected to compensate for.
‘Despite this miracle, Vincent still faces a long and challenging recovery. He will need extensive therapy, ongoing medical monitoring, and support for his healing organs,’ the family said.
Physicians have been amazed by Vincent’s recovery and have begun referring to him as the ‘miracle baby.’
Felony child abuse
The incident has led to authorities investigating the circumstances leading to Vincent’s near drowning along with medical protocol as well as questions surroundging the boy’s caring.
During interviews, Vincent’s parents acknowledged they occasionally smoked marijuana. Angelo reportedly told investigators he had last used cannabis the morning of the incident.
Hospital blood testing reportedly found no alcohol in either parent’s system but did detect cannabis in both.
Because of their admissions and the investigation’s findings, Gilbert police recommended child abuse charges against both parents. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office will make the final decision on whether to formally prosecute the case.
The incident has also prompted scrutiny of the hospital’s actions.
In a statement, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center said it immediately conducted a thorough review of the incident to determine what occurred and implement changes to improve patient safety. The hospital said it continues working with the family but declined to discuss specific details due to patient privacy.
No decision to charge the parents has been made yet.
